Unite 'vindicated' over Falkirk

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey has said the union is delighted to have been "vindicated" over the Falkirk selection row and it is time to "move on".
He added the union wants have a "proper debate" about updating its relationship with Labour.

The Labour MP Tom Watson, who quit as the party's election co-ordinator during the "media frenzy" over allegations surrounding the selection of the prospective parliamentary candidate for Falkirk, has tweeted:

ITV News Political Correspondent Romilly Weeks questioned whether the Labour Party released the findings of the Falkirk candidate selection inquiry at 5:30pm on Friday because they hoped it "might not get too much comment" at that time.

She also questioned whether this weekend's TUC conference has "anything to do with the leadership wanting to repair relations with the unions":

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Unite-backed Labour candidate Karie Murphy and Falkirk constituency party chairman Stevie Deans were suspended after an internal report found concerns over the process of selecting a candidate for the 2015 General Election.

The Falkirk constituency party was also put into "special measures" after the internal report, which has yet to be published.

After allegations were made that the Unite union was involved in selection-fixing in the Falkirk constituency party, Labour leader Ed Miliband hit out at the union and its general secretary Len McCluskey.

Mr Miliband said on 5 July: "Instead of defending what happened in Falkirk, Len McCluskey should be facing up to his responsibilities.